


Wouldn't Be the Same

by pushupindrag



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-23 01:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6100939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushupindrag/pseuds/pushupindrag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ginny had been looked after by Fred and George since she started at Hogwarts. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>“Thanks.” She whispers, straightening back up to slump on her stool.</i></p>
<p>  <i>“No problem little sister. Now drink up, finish that and then we can go find mum and dad.” George laughs, picking his own mug back up as the twins start chattering about what they want to do over the holidays, and Ginny slumps back comfortably, the laughter and conversation reaffirming the fact that they didn’t hate her, and she was safe with them.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Wouldn't Be the Same

**Author's Note:**

> I just really appreciate how close Fred, George and Ginny were in the books, even though it wasn't explored very much. So I decided to write a few snippets of what I think could have happened. Also there's a letter in here, and the layout may be a little clunky, so if anyone has trouble reading/understanding it then please let me know :)
> 
> Un'beted so if you find any mistakes please let me know :)

Ginny’s first year at Hogwarts isn’t something she remembers fully. And what little she does remember isn’t the sort of thing she wants to.

She’s clutching a hot chocolate, tears streaming down her face while she hides in the corner of the kitchen. The house elves were leaving her to it, letting her sit in a corner while she sits on a stool they had given her, rigid and silent. Her mind was eerily empty now, and although she knew it was a good thing, the silence was almost too much. Waiting for her family was taking too long, and in the same vein not long enough. How would she face them now? How would she tell them the awful things she had done without them hating her?

“You alright Ginny?” Jumping, the now cold hot chocolate gets spilt all over the floor as she looks up at her brothers. Fred sits next to her on the floor, taking the cup off her while George mutters a quick,  
  
“Scrougify.” And the hot chocolate disappears.  
  
“Yeah, Dumbledore told us what happened. We’ve been looking for you, you know.” Fred shifts so that George can sit next to him, both of them now facing Ginny. “Oh thank you.” The house elves had come and given all three of them fresh steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Full to the brim with marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles.  
  
“Well, drink up sis.” George prompts, taking a sip of his own drink. But when Ginny doesn’t, he puts his mug down and takes hers in his hands “Don’t make me feed you now, you know I will. Chocolate does you good.” He sounds stern, and it’s so out of character that Ginny startles a little.

“Don’t make him do it Gin!” Fred whispers, leaning in with wide eyes “He’ll spill it all over you.”

Ginny takes the mug back, silent but with a slight smile trying to break through as she does what she’s told and drinks a little. Already she feels better, even if it’s just a tiny bit. 

“Now, we were thinking about what we were going to do over the summer holidays.” George begins, waiting until Ginny takes another sip of her drink before he does with his own.  
  
“And we were thinking about going to the beach. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince mum. Especially if it’s just for a few days in a wizarding B&B.” Fred continues.  
  
“Yeah, we could build sandcastles and terrorize Percy by getting sand in his pants!” George cackles, nearly slopping his drink all over himself which makes Ginny snort, the sound coming out thick and stilted and she’s soon blowing her nose on a spare tea towel.

“I think you’ll need a break after this year huh.” Fred tilts his head.  
  
“Yeah.” Her voice was slowly coming back, the more she drank and her brothers spoke. They didn’t hate her. In fact, they were even talking about everyone going to the seaside. Her included.  
  
“Of course we’ll need one too.” George drawls. “What with mum not forgiving us for flying that damn car yet and all.”  
  
“And you being complete pranksters this year.” Ginny pipes up, wiping at her eyes as George and Fred snort in unison.  
  
“Yeah that too.” They both answer.

“You uh, you don’t hate me do you. For what I’ve done?” Finally finding her tongue, Ginny finally asks. If Fred and George wouldn’t accept her then there was no hope for the rest of the family. Ginny had always been close to the twins, closer than with any of her other brothers, so if they wouldn’t forgive her then nobody else would.

Both Fred and George share a look, and Ginny can feel her stomach drop before they’re smiling, shaking their heads a little.  
  
“There’s nothing to forgive Ginny. None of that was your fault. And if people say it was then they’re going to have to answer to us.” George reaches out to squeeze her arm, tapping on her mug too to remind her to drink.  
  
“Yeah.” Fred agrees, sitting up a bit straighter “If anyone gives you trouble they’ll have us to answer to.” Nodding now more forcefully, she can’t help but put her mug down and reach down to throw herself into a hug. Both boys hug her back tightly, even though the position was awkward and mugs had to be put down.

“Thanks.” She whispers, straightening back up to slump on her stool.

“No problem little sister. Now drink up, finish that and then we can go find mum and dad.” George laughs, picking his own mug back up as the twins start chattering about what they want to do over the holidays, and Ginny slumps back comfortably, the laughter and conversation reaffirming the fact that they didn’t hate her, and she was safe with them.

 

Ginny's second year was filled with confusion and most of the time, getting lost. The stairs moved and so did the rooms so it was incredibly hard to keep track of where she was supposed to be. Percy was no help despite being a prefect, and Ron was off somewhere with Harry Potter. Of all people, and Ginny didn’t like asking for help anyway. Ginny would have known her way around, should have in fact, if it wasn’t for the fiasco after last year.

She spent most of her time walking around alone, ignoring how people watched her in the halls as she shied away. Her friends were there for her of course, but she liked to be by herself, seeing and exploring Hogwarts while she still tried to get her thoughts in order. There was a lot to mull over after last year, and she found it soothing to truly know she was in control of her own thoughts, away from the hustle and bustle of crowds. Even if that meant she wandered and got lost a lot.

Which is how Fred finds her, sitting on an abandoned staircase sulking, Charms book open in front of her. Which was supposed to be the class she was in before she got lost.

"Hey sis, having fun there?" The lanky boy flops down beside her, arms and legs spread everywhere while he leans on her, trying to get her to laugh with little success.

"No." Scowling, Ginny gestures to her book "I got lost on the way to Charms." She says it quietly, embarrassed and she goes as red as her hair.

"Well that's easily fixed. Come on put everything away." Sensing her discomfort, Fred starts to help her pile everything into her bag, hoisting it onto his shoulder as they start back up the stairs. "I got sent out of lesson anyway, they won't miss me. Not until George leaves anyway. Come on."

He starts walking, waving to a few pictures on the way or a suit of armour as Ginny follows, trying to memorise the way there. She can't though, not really so she just follows, tripping a little on her robes to keep up with her brother’s long legs.

What she doesn't notice is Fred slowing down when he notices, so Ginny can keep up.

"Here we are!" Knocking on the open door he pops his head in first "Hey Professor Flitwick. Got a lost student for you here." Ginny's pushed into the classroom and Fred's gone with a grin and a wave.

"Oh Ginny, we were wondering where you got off to. Sit, sit.” So she sits and she listens, as Flitwick carries on teaching, ignoring the few mumbles about Fred. The twins were legends around school, and to Ginny’s dismay, she had heard some of the girls in her class swooning over the pair. She had wanted to vomit.

The twins always had a knack for finding her when she was lost, and through their help, she slowly learned her way around the school. Finding out which portraits were friendly and which suits of armour would wave back. They taught her quicker ways, through trick doorways that had previously confused her, and a way to charm the stairs to never move while she was on them.

They called it sibling good luck, she thought that the school was welcomed the mischievous pair with open arms, and welcomed her in turn.

 

Before her third year at Hogwarts, she got lost in the woods at the Quidditch World Cup, dark mark looming above everybody’s head. George has one of her hands, Fred having the other as they trip and fall into the woods, the twins ushering her along as they try and find a safe space to hide, away from the chanting masks and the panic of the crowds.

There’s a moment when she trips, falling flat on her face, crying out as her legs get trampled before Fred and George are pulling her up, wiping at her knees quickly before continuing to pull her along, someone’s arm around her back to keep her steady before they seem to be diving into bushes.

Panting, all three of them don’t dare speak as they crouch, hesitant to do anything until the screams stopped. Ginny hides her face in George’s chest, Fred’s hand on her back as they all listen to the running feet that are pelting past them, and none of them say a word until things quieten down.

“Come on you two.” George mutters, when it seems safe to go and look for their family, they were supposed to have gone back to the tent, but the woods had seemed safer. Ginny’s shaking as she pulls leaves from her hair, and Fred’s arm is still firmly around her back as the three troop back into the now eerily deserted campsite. There’s people crying everywhere, and small groups huddling, looking much like Ginny feels. Tired, afraid and close to tears.

“It’s all right now.” Fred tries to sooth, and Ginny’s not sure if he’s talking to her, or to all of them.

“Ginny! Boys!”

“DAD!” Once they see Arthur, they’re all rushing over to him. He’s got one arm outstretched to them while herding Ron, Harry and Hermione with the other.

Fred and George are crushing Ginny in a hug, Arthur in the centre before everybody is bustling back to the tent.

“We leave at first light.” Arthur promises, letting Ginny and Hermione stay in the bigger tent.

Fred still hasn’t let her go. Sitting with his arm around her shoulders while George sat behind them, hand occasionally coming out to squeeze her arm. The shouts are echoing in her eyes, so much like what she heard as a constant monotone back when Voldemort had possessed her. They were a constant comforting presence.

“He isn’t here sis.” The twins knew about what had happened when she was eleven, facts gathered from tearful midnight feasts, just them. Or laughter that was suddenly cut short due to memories.

“Yeah, yeah okay.” She whispers back, and hopes that the morning will come quicker as visions of the muggles floating whirl around her head, maniacal laughter following.

 

It hurts when Fred and George leave in her fourth year, with a hail of fireworks and a laughter that Ginny is sure will never leave the buildings walls. Hogwarts had been so kind to them, so kind to her. And now they had just up and left.

She knew of course, walking in on them planning their exit, helping make up forms for their new products. Hearing their plans for a wonderful new world, something everyone needed in the times surrounded them.

They had sat around late at night, when Ginny was supposed to be asleep and the twins were supposed to be doing homework. Going over the plans, heads bent and elbows close together.

“Don’t tell Ron okay, you’re the only one we trust with this Gin.” George had told her, sitting up in their dorm as Lee had flit about the room, teasing her relentlessly about near enough anything until Fred had thrown a pillow at him with alarming accuracy, causing him to stagger off full of laughter.

“Alright. Now how are you going to produce these en masse?” Ginny had agreed, sharing a large grin with the two, before they stopped for a break and asked her about the latest hex she had learnt. They were the only two who showed a full interest in how she was getting on, her mother cared, but she had too many children to fully keep track of. And Ron was too busy to care unless he was ragging on her for kissing Dean Thomas.

The days leading up to it she skips classes, feigning illness while she sneaks around, getting her hair ruffled and keeping an eye out while Fred and George set up their pranks. And she delights in being able to trip Umbridge while Fred and George set off the smaller explosions. She’s there to see them set up swamps, gather Peeves into their charade, and wink at the teachers who knew exactly what she was doing when she ‘had a headache’.

Fred and George were going out with a bang, and she was damned if she wasn’t going to help them.

The night before they leave, they give her some left over tricks to set off whenever she pleases, sitting in the kitchens with her while they feast.

“You Ginny, we’re going to miss you the most.” George says through a mouthful of chocolate, reaching out for a pasty while Fred does the same, hitting at each other’s hands until Ginny swoops in and takes it out from under their noses, cackling as they shove at her too.

Teasing, Ginny tilts the piece of food at them “Really?”

“Really, you’re like the triplet mum never wanted.” Fred confirms.

“Maybe I’ll miss you knuckle heads too.” Ginny shrugs, biting into the pasty even as she says it so she won’t end up bursting into tears. “It’s time to leave your legacy to me boys.”

“Oh we will.” They chorus. “We will.”

Ginny’s the one to cheer the loudest when they fly off, with jaunty waves and an advertisement for Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, the shop they had been working so hard on. Nobody says anything if they notice the tears in her eyes.

 

_Hey Ginny, how’s the fifth year treating you?_ Hi Gin, hope you’re doing okay!  
  
_We heard you made the quidditch team, which we knew you would._ Considering you’re great at it, let’s be real here.  _Carry on the winning streak for us yeah?_ Gotta have at least two weasleys on the team at all times. _We’re good luck and everything!_ Yeah for luck,  _not that you need it._ No, not that you need it ( _not at all).  
  
_ Anyway, we hear ( _from ron)_ that you keep snogging Dean Thomas in public,  _gross lil sis, truly gross,._ However, you need to carry on doing it, just to piss Ron off. _Cause we all know that pissing ron off is our greatest past time._ Greatest waste of time, anyway, we need to go over a few things. 

_How are your classes? Are you doing well? Need us to hex anyone?_ Not that you can’t do that _it's_   _just nice being over protective and all.  
  
_ How are your exams? You have to study for them.  _I know that’s a bit hypocritical coming from us, but you have far more potential than we do. S_ o don’t waste it!  
_  
How are you doing anyway? No more you know who?_ Always remember, we’re only an ow away if you ever need us, or a Dobby away,  _if you can find him._ Also, you get everything free in our shop when you visit, just don’t tell anyone.  _Yeah, don’t want anyone butting in._ Especially that new teacher, Slughorn  _yeah he seems a bit pushy._ Don’t go alerting him.

_Hows your puff? Arnold was it?_ Hope youre treating him better than we treated them in the shop! _Stop!_ Oh she knows we’re only kidding!

_Whatever, keep yourself safe gin_ Keep yourself sane too!  _If you ever need help we’re always here!_ Don’t forget.  
  
Alright speak to you later!  _Keep hexing people!_  
Fred,  
_George._

 

Ginny’s gets to the body before George, only a few seconds, but the blood curdling scream she lets out as soon as she see’s Fred must be warning enough. The scream is out of her mouth before she recognises that it’s her, and she falls to the floor, pushed by George who rushes to the body.

Molly and Arthur are there, Molly sobbing, much like George and Ginny while Arthur stood still, keeping watch.

All thoughts of Voldemort and battle leaves her head as she crawls to Fred, arm instinctively going around George as her brother cries. She can’t look at Fred, can’t bear to see the faintest trace of a smile on his lips while she cries. Can barely cope, unable to see her brother’s chest moving with breath. She thinks she’s still screaming, angry depressing sobs as she clutches at George, hands tight in his jacket as his own sobs mix in with hers. 

There’s no amount of magic that can bring him back. Even as she lifts her wand to try. It’s only George wrenching her wand from her that stops her as he turns to lean into her, wand clattering to the ground as she holds him.

Her brothers had been there for her their whole lives. Fred and George, always the two of them, more than her other brothers. And now it was just George. So she vows, there and then, to take care of him the way he had her. They would need each other more than ever.

George keeps muttering over and over again through his tears. And Ginny could swear that it’s Fred’s name repeatedly.

“We’ll get through this George.” She manages through her own tears. “We can get through this.”

They only stop crying to fight. The last fight. And Ginny fights it in Fred’s name. Standing there with her family, George by her side while they run the Death Eaters out.

Voldemort’s death isn’t a victory. Not by her standards. Because Fred is dead. Along with a whole load of other people.

So she stands, clinging to George while he clings back, arms around each other, while they cover Fred until the funeral. They don’t say a word, as they gather around. But George had Ginny, and Ginny had George. The two inseparable as they share tears.

Fred wasn’t there anymore, he would never be there again. But as long as George and Ginny stuck together, maybe just maybe, they could learn to live in a world without him. Ginny wouldn’t be who she was without the twins, and she didn’t think they would be who they were without her either.


End file.
